Former GM Slams Ryan Pace And His "Collaboration" Approach

The Chicago Bears face the prospect of their eighth non-winning record in nine seasons. Something that would've made George Halas apoplectic with rage back in the day. It isn't acceptable for an organization of this stature. Yet that is the state of things. Fans are trying to find people to blame. The flavor of the month in that regard is head coach Matt Nagy. Entirely fair given the array of questionable decisions he's made over the past several months. However, many aren't letting GM Ryan Pace off the hook either. One of them is Michael Lombardi. The longtime executive and former Cleveland Browns GM appeared on the Mully & Haugh show for 670 The Score to discuss the state of the Bears. Namely why they continue to spin their wheels and can't make any headway towards consistent playoff contention. For Lombardi, the answer is simple. The organization doesn't have an identity. Chicago doesn't know who it wants to be and hasn't for years.

He believes Pace is at the heart of this problem.

"This is a philosophical issue. What happens is what the Bears are doing, which a lot of franchises do, is 'Oh, we need a better point guard so let's do this.' 'We need a better off-guard, so let's do this.' 'We need a better third baseman, so let's do this.' When it all doesn't really come together. You have to build from the inside out. I think that's the biggest issue in Chicago. They never built from the inside out and they put their money where it doesn't really make any sense. I can't tell you what the direction of the team is."

Is that a fair criticism? Yes. When talking about building from the inside out, Lombardi is referencing the idea of starting with the trenches and then working your way out to the skill positions. Look at the consistently good teams around the NFL and they all tend to share that same philosophy. Pace? Of the five 1st round picks he has spent since taking over in 2015, not a single one of them was an offensive or defensive lineman. Lombardi is unimpressed with the Bears GM. Particularly his most recent bizarre message.

"The word to me that resonates biggest in Chicago is they like collaboration. They like collaboration. And all that tells me is nobody knows what they're doing."

It is further confirmation that Pace has failed to establish what he wants this team to be. Other than good of course. Initially most felt his primary desire was to transform the Bears into another version of the New Orleans Saints team he left behind. One that was predicated on an aggressive defense that can force turnovers coupled with a pass-first offense that featured a talented quarterback. It almost worked. Sadly, Mitch Trubisky didn't pan out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPRHMa5CC7k&ab_channel=ChicagoBears

Since then Ryan Pace seems to have lost his way

He has gotten away from that vision and hasn't quite figured out what he wants the Bears to be anymore. It is almost like he is scrambling to pick up the pieces of his original vision, unsure of what to do with them. Even though he may have finally gotten his quarterback in Justin Fields, the rest of the structure isn't there. The offensive line is in a poor state. They lack depth at wide receiver.  Defensively they've fallen off as well, no longer able to control the line of scrimmage.

Who are the Bears?

It's a fair question. Nobody seems to know including the guys running the team. That is why Ryan Pace and the rest of the regime are in danger of losing their jobs. The Bears are 3-6 with eight games to play. Unless they manage a late run to improve that record, it will be hard for George McCaskey to justify keeping any of them.